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Reviewed by EuroCheapo.com Editors

Friendly little Velia runs the homey Hotel Alex with care and attention. Located just off the Campo Frari and near the bustling erbaria markets, this one-star spot is calm and quiet.

Pros: Charming and cozy. Good value. Friendly staff.

Cons: No air conditioning. Street noise.

The Hotel Alex’s mid-20th-century front parlor entrance and 11 large, airy bedrooms are done up in dark woods and original Venetian flooring. The look is pretty straightforward, with pastel bedcovers and curtains, Venetian-styled furniture and plain walls.

Rooms are simply equipped with a fan (no air conditioning), phone and little else.

Double rooms without a private bath, which price up to about €100 max in high season, are a good deal (especially since you still have a sink and a bidet). Rooms with a private bath are just a bit more expensive.

The fairly large bathrooms have pink- and cream-colored tiles. They're definitely old, but they're scrubbed to perfection.

Velia Marazzi has been running the Hotel Alex since the 1970s, and these days her son Mario Fiorentini helps out. It’s a family affair, and guests are treated like family too. Breakfast, included in the room rate, can be taken in the breakfast room or served directly to your room. Wi-Fi is free throughout.

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About the Hotel Alex neighborhood

North of the Rialto Bridge, Venetian life is a bit more relaxed in San Polo. Streets are not as packed, restaurants have more local flavor, and prices tend to be more affordable in general. By day you’ll find open-air markets and fish markets ("herbaria"), decked out in frescoed porticos. By night the area is home to hipsters for late-night "cicchetti" and great wines by the glass. You can easily walk to and from the area around the Rialto Bridge to San Marco in t10 minutes.